The Canisius baseball team scored the final five runs of the game, rallying from a 5-1 deficit, to defeat the University at Buffalo 6-5 at the Demske Sports Complex on Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Griffins improve to 16-7 on the season and win for the 12th time in the last 15 games.

Freshman Anthony Massicci went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and scored the game-winning run. Senior Christian Segar reached base four times and had two hits on the day. Eight Golden Griffins combined for the 11 hits on the day.

Buffalo (12-11) scored first with an RBI single from Michael Scarcello in the top of the second. The Bulls added three more runs in the third on RBI singles from Alex Baldock and Ryan Tulloch and a sacrifice fly from Jon Mestas. Canisius got one back in the bottom of the inning when sophomore Mike Krische tripled to deep center and scored on a two-out single from Segar make it 4-1.

Buffalo regained a four-run lead in the sixth by scoring a run without a hit, using a sacrifice fly from Scarcello to go up 5-1. The Griffs cut into the deficit with four consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Mike Booth started the rally with a single, followed by another single from sophomore Jesse Puscheck. Junior Jose Torralba doubled down the left-field line to score Booth and put two runners into scoring position. Massicci jumped on the next pitch and singled up the middle to score Puscheck and Torralba and make it a one-run game.

Canisius got the leadoff hitter on for the only time in the bottom of the seventh as Segar tripled down the left-field line. Junior Jesse Kelso and freshman Brett Siddall each drew walks to load the bases with no outs. Junior Shane Zimmer tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Segar to tie the game. The Griffs would take the lead for the first time in the bottom of the eighth, which started with the third hit of the day for Massicci. Segar would draw a one-out walk and Siddall came through with a two-out single to right-center to score Massicci and put Canisius ahead 6-5.

Redshirt senior Billy Martin started for the Griffs and allowed four runs in three innings. Senior Jason Rubenstein gave up one run in his four innings, not allowing a hit but walking three and striking out three. Junior Mike Tolsma and sophomore Aaron Casper (2-0) combined to throw a scoreless eighth inning while junior Jon Fitzsimmmons struck out the side in the ninth inning for his fourth save of the season.

Canisius wraps up its five-game homestand on Wednesday, when the Golden Griffins host Big Four rival St. Bonaventure. First pitch at the Demske Sports Complex is set for 3 p.m.

Game Notes: Canisius defeats Buffalo for the 10th time in the last 13 meetings… Canisius won for the fourth time this season when trailing after the sixth inning… Casper has not allowed a run in his last five appearances (five innings)… Fitzsimmons has six strikeouts in his last eight outs recorded… Junior Jimmy Luppens didn’t record a hit for the first time this season, ending his hitting streak at 23 games… The three hits for Massicci were a career high… The four innings pitched for Rubenstein were his most in his two years as a Golden Griffin… Segar now has 10 hits in his last five starts... Canisius has had the leadoff batter reach just five times in the last four games (32 innings).